A Generic Love Story of the Gay Kind
by OzThePikachu
Summary: After the teaparty, Elliot has to deal with the horrifying idea that he might be in love. Things start to get crazy when he realizes that everyone knew before even he did… except the short blond heir who had been occupying his thoughts. With his best friend (and JUST friend) Reo to support him, and a fangirly Sharon to go to for advice, will Elliot win Oz over? ElliOz Elliot x Oz
1. Crap, I'm gay

Summary: After A Side Episode of Unbirthday, Elliot Nightray has had to deal with a few things, mainly the horrifying idea that he might be in love. Things start to get hectic when he realizes that everyone knew before even he did… everyone except the short blond heir who had been occupying his thoughts. With his best friend (and JUST friend) Reo to support him, and a fangirly Sharon to go to for advice… Will Elliot manage to win Oz over?

Pairing: ElliOz ( Elliot x Oz )

Disclaimer: Pandora Hearts and its characters do not belong to me in any way.

"Elliot?...Ellliiiioooot." Reo called the brunette's name a few more times, raising an eyebrow and chuckling softly at the spacy look on his master's face.

Elliot sat on a chair, a book in hand which he was obviously not reading considering the fat blue book was upside down and in danger of falling right out of the brunette's hand. His free hand was under his chin, holding his head up as he stared at seemingly nothing with a look of both confusion and utter concentration. Reo rolled his eyes, the Nightray heir had been behaving like this for nearly a week now. No matter what he was doing it seemed he'd randomly start staring off into space, this same look in his eyes. Reo wished he knew what Elliot was internally fussing about considering whenever he snapped out of it the brunette boy would shake his head frantically, something he even had a light blush on his cheeks.

"Well maybe you're finally being affected by puberty." Reo muttered, pushing his glasses up and going back to his own book.

"…Huh?" Elliot asked, more confused by the statement than anything else.

"So you were listening after all." Reo smirked, pushing a strand of his black hair behind his ear. The other frowned, taking on his usual appearance.

"Oi of course I was listening, and what do you mean by that?" He glared a little before suddenly remembering something his big-mouthed servant had said to Oz a week back at Oscar Vessalius's tea party.

"_Elliot doesn't seem interested in the opposite sex!"*_

Elliot's face went bright red suddenly. His glare intensified as he pictured the confused and surprised look on Oz's face.

"AHH!" A frustrated growl left Elliot's lips as he ran a hand through his chocolate brown spikes. "You gave him the impression that I'm gay!" He told the younger angrily. Reo blinked at him then burst out laughing.

"I did didn't I?" He said between giggles. "The look on Oz-kun's face was priceless."

"Tch…" Elliot was deciding between bringing his awfully fat book down hard on Reo's head or just plain biting his head off and beginning the search for a new servant who might know how to keep his mouth shut.

Reo smirked again, knowing that the lack of a retort on Elliot's part just meant he was right so far. He could keep prodding him like this and get more information which he could use to either blackmail Elliot or actually help him out if he needed it. In any case, he could pretty much guess what it was about. It had started a week ago after all. And the only thing that had happened a week ago was…

"_Then… Let's work together to change the relationship between the Bezarius and Nightray houses!"_

Reo closed his eyes, smiling a bit. It'd definitely been a while since the last time he'd seen Elliot smile like that. He thought… If he could see his best friend smile like that more often he'd be more than willing to help him achieve what he wanted. The smirk suddenly crept its way back into Reo's face.

'What he wants is Oz Bezarius.' He mused, holding back another chuckle. He didn't want to let Elliot know that he pretty much already knew what the fuss was about.

"So… What's been on your mind lately?" Reo asked casually, flipping a page in his book.

"Huh?" Elliot raised an eyebrow, giving Reo a look.

"Well you know, you've been spacing out a lot lately and I've caught you blushing more than a few times." Reo's tone turned a bit more accusing, subtly trying to push Elliot into spilling the beans. Reo was good at doing that, especially considering how long they'd been living as master and servant.

Elliot's face ironically turned a couple of shades redder. "What the hell are you babbling about? You're imagining things." He scoffed and looked away, knowing Reo could read him easily.

"Hm… I believe it started about a week ago…" Reo faked sudden shock. "Don't tell me… You've actually begun to see Miss Ada Vessalius that way?" He said overdramatically, fighting not to burst out laughing at the expression on Elliot's face.

"EHHHHH?!" He yelled, standing up suddenly. "WHO THE HELL WOULD LIKE THAT DITZ?!" He demanded, obviously outraged even by the sole idea of _liking _Ada Bezarius.

"Oh its not?" Reo once again faked innocence, feeling amused at the twitch of Elliot's eyebrow.

"Of course it's not you idiot! It's… someone else..." He looked away, frowning.

"Then is it Oz-kun?"

"…. SHUT UP REO!"

_ACHOO_

Oz Bezarius sneezed loudly, dropping the books he'd been carrying.

"Bless you Oz-sama." Sharon smiled, playing sweet and sisterly as usual.

"Thank you Sharon-chan…" He muttered, picking up the books.

"My my, someone must be talking about you." She giggled, adding two more books to Oz's already large stack.

The blond rolled his eyes, but smiled kindly.

"Of course." He then sighed as the strawberry blond continued pulling out books. "Why do I have to help you with this?"

"Because you are a gentleman, and my Romance Bible is far too much for me to carry on my own." She answered simply, as if the answer was more than obvious. Sharon pulled out one last book and looked at the cover. "It's a shame you're the only gentleman in this entire mansion that is able to help me. Break usually lazes around and looks through them… the nerve of him. Don't even get me started on Gilbert… I'd rather carry them myself then stand him stuttering and red faced the entire time."

Oz laughed, being careful not to drop the stack. "That definitely sounds like Gil." He smirked.

They laughed for a few more minutes before walking side by side down the hall and towards Sharon's room, Oz being careful not to drop anything and Sharon gripping her harisen*, prepared to attack if one of her precious Romance Bibles even touched the ground.

They entered Sharon's overly elegant room, walking past her purple canopy bed filled to the brim with stuffed animals. Oz sometimes wondered where she fit in there among all the stuffed toys. The blond finally set the large stack down, letting out a sigh of relief at being relieved of the weight because Sharon seriously had WAY too many of these Romance Bibles, and WAY too much free time from what Oz could see.

Said female pulled her long ponytail loose and rolled up her sleeves, sitting down at the desk besides the large stack and staring at the books in concentration. Whatever it was for, Oz could tell she was planning something and needed to consult with the books in order to get everything fairy tale perfect.

"Sharon-chan why do you even need all these?" Oz asked curiously, pushing a strand of his blond hair out of his face. As far as he was concerned, all of Sharon's previous attempts to pair any of their friends up usually ended in disaster.

There was one time where she'd even tried setting up Gilbert and Oz but things went bad quickly for two main reasons. First, Oz never liked Gilbert that way and had been feeling extremely uncomfortable… and second, Alice. The jealous brunette had quietly literally crashed down on their "date" and didn't just ruin all of Sharon's hopes of them being together, but nearly split Gilbert's skull open in the progress.

"_Are you crazy?! Can you_ _imagine if _my _manservant and _my _seaweed head started dating?! They'd lose sight of the truly important thing… me!"_

Oz chuckled at this, then returned his attention to Sharon.

"Oh, well, a certain friend of mine is having some romance issues." She said, smiling slyly. "And a friend of that friend has asked me for help in relieving the poor boy's despair." She said dramatically, as if she were discussing the fate of the world and not some random teenager's lovelife.

Oz laughed again. "So Super Sharon to the rescue?" He smiled, amused by the female's enthusiasm.

"Excuse me I am a lady, we do not need SUPER or MEGA in our names to be amazing." She said, pouting and grabbing a book off the stack. She opened it and quickly began looking for something within the pages.

"Why doesn't he just ask her out?" Oz asked, making conversation since he had nothing better to do anyways except train with Break, but that wasn't for another hour or so.

"It's not that simple dear." Sharon began, suddenly prepared to educate the blond on the matters of love. "His love story is a slightly more delicate one. You see it's the 'forbidden love' kind." She explained, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Forbidden? So what… is it someone younger than him?" Oz asked, tilting his head as he tried to understand Sharon0's fangirl language.

"Not exactly… more like the person he likes is from a family that his own does not get along with." She said simply, slightly surprised at how innocent Oz was actually turning out to be. Then again with this particular boy you could never be completely sure what you saw is what really is. Oz nodded as if completely understanding.

"I can understand that, it's like Elliot and I." He said, trying to compare.

"…." Sharon couldn't help but grin at what the boy had just said.

"…." Oz's face suddenly flushed bright red and he started waving his hands in denial. "I-I didn't mean it romantically! O-obviously Elliot and I aren't... I mean... t-that's weird… what I meant was that our families dislike each other that's all!" He said quickly.

Sharon laughed, grabbing another book. "Of course dear." She smiled to herself as she continued flipping through the pages. The entire situation was extremely amusing, after all, Sharon was pretty sure only Oz didn't know what the Nightray heir felt, and the brunette himself had no idea how to approach Oz, much less did he know if the boy liked him back.

"My my, this is why tsunderes are so difficult…"

"Tsun..eh?"


	2. Crap, everyone knows!

A/N: Hey guys I bet none of you were expecting a new story but here it is! Sadly I've decided to put Alice of War on Hiatus but I will continue writing for you guys and I'm officially taking requests from now on. :D so if there's a certain story you might like PM me and we'll talk.

Well I realized I never clarified the * references from the last chappy so here theyare:

_*"Elliot doesn't seem interested in the opposite sex!" _– This is from one of the Drama CD episodes and it's called "A side episode of Unbirthday." I will probably makr various references to this episode so if you guys get a chance to look for it there's a nice translation on YouTube

* _Harisen _– An object used in Japanese comedy, looks like a fan and makes a loud cracking sound when being hit by it. This is what Sharon beats Break with in the anime.

CHAPTER 2: What do I do now?

Elliot found himself sitting at his work desk, a mountain of paperwork stacked in front of him and a pen laid out among them. He sighed and looked out the window, resting his head in his hand.

"This is stupid…" He said quietly, to himself. He had no other way to describe it, and it was driving him mad.

Elliot knew Reo had already figured out so it wouldn't have made much difference even if he hadn't told the nosy raven-head. What irritated Elliot the most was that Reo was one hundred percent right. Elliot _had_ been staring off into space a lot. He couldn't really help it though, no matter how much he wanted to get something done or how hard he tried to _just concentrate _a very bothersome chibi always wormed his way into Elliot's thoughts. He would be picking out what to wear or going to get a snack an even the slightest flash of green reminded him of those big and beautiful green …

'Stop thinking that. Right now.' He thought, mentally slapping himself. The now-familiar warmth was finding its way onto Elliot's cheeks as we dismissed the image of Oz's bright and shining smile. 'Goddamn puberty…' None of what he was feeling made any sense _whatsoever. _Elliot was no expert in love (considering he hadn't once had a girlfriend) but he was intelligent enough to know this just wasn't normal, because no matter how short or cute or girly Oz was… he was still a guy. Just like Elliot was, and just because the brunette had never been interested in girls didn't mean he was GAY.

'Or does it?' Elliot sighed, deciding to push away his internal conflicts, turning back to his work. He looked over the paper then he chuckled softly.

"I must look insane… fighting with myself like this." If he didn't know any better he might even have started to worry that he was suddenly turning bipolar or something. He was beginning to act like a woman!

"…." That last thought struck him cold. "Does that mean… I'd be the girl in the relationship?!" He'd never thought about it before, like some part of him had just assumed by default that _he'd_ lead and not some short brat. His hands tightened around the paper he'd been holding before dropping it back on the desk. Elliot stood up abruptly, new determination began coursing through him.

"I will NOT sit around daydreaming and waiting for something to happen like some teenage girl." He said, opening the door to his study and stepping out.

"REO!" He called out, knowing the servant was just two rooms away, probably reading or something.

As he'd guessed the raven-head came out of the small library (which Elliot liked to think of as his own personal one) and walked up to Elliot, still reading his book.

"Yeah?" He asked, only half-interested as he turned the page in his latest interest. "Make it quick, Janeth is this close to discovering a c_ertain_truth which will destroy _someone's_ dreams and eventually make it back to _the real bad guy _who will have to stop_ that one thing_ in order to avoid _it._"

"… Riiight." Elliot muttered, though he was already used to Reo's vagueness when it comes to books "Well… I… I need your help with what we discussed earlier, I mean, you've read a lot more trashy romance novels than I have… So I figured you're the most quialified…"

"While I won't deny I have quiet a few romance titles on my list, I am actually not the expert when it comes to these matters." A small smirk found its way into Reo's face as if he were laughing at a private joke.

"Huh? Then who is?" Elliot asked, confused. He didn't know if he should be worried Reo knew someone even more qualified for this sort of thing, or glad he wouldn't have to put up with Reo the entire time he was…

"Don't worry. She's been on it since last night." Reo's grin widened at the expression on Elliot's face. He pushed his glasses up and turned around, giving his back to his master, hoping to continue his reading while the brunette threw this around his mind for about an hour.

"S-since last night?! Oi Reo don't run your mouth off to others especially when no one asked you to…" Slowly Elliot's scolding faded as the raven-head entered the small library, chuckling at the irony of the entire situation.

"Oz. Oz. Oz. Oz. Oz." Alice was hovering over a sleeping Oz, poking his cheek repeatedly, calling his name everytime she did. She had been on another chain hunting mission, along with Gilbert and Oz and both boys had come back exhausted. Alice huffed, and got off Oz when he didn't wake.

Gil had fallen asleep too, but he had at least made it to the bed. Oz on the other hand had passed out in the Reinsworth's living room couch, though Alice couldn't blame him much. Even she was a little tired. But just a little. Sharon had been running in and out of the mansion all day carrying strangely yummy looking things, always looking around as if she didn't want anyone to see her befor dashing back into her room. It seemed like everyone was behaving oddly, Oz had been nosier than usual about things like the Nightrays and Gil's stories about his time with them, while Sharon had been going out to meet someone a lot recently.

Alice had actually heard Echo (in one of her master's visits to see his dear brother) wonder out loud if Sharon was secretly dating someone since she was so sneaky and usually Sharon's attention was on Echo's hair whenever they were over.

"_A date? Hahaha, more like she's plotting evil." _Break had replied from the other side of the room where he had been listening while keeping a wary eye and a safe distance from Vincent. Echo's expression had looked slightly surprised and she had glanced from Break and Sharon.

"_Echo was not aware the Reinsworth mistress was evil."_ She had said, as if she were re-calculating her entire impression of Sharon.

"_IT IS NOT EVIL I'TS BEAUTIFUL!"* _The strawberry blond had cried before stomping out of the room, but not before giving Break a few hits over the head with her trusty harisen.

Alice got up from her place besides Oz and walked over to the kitchen, hoping to find some leftover meat that she could eat without anyone scolding her. She peered at their food storage and just as she was about to pull out a tempting piece of lamb she heard Sharon's voice floating quietly nearby, followed by a slightly more annoying voice she thought must've belonged to a male.

"Reo-kun, we cannot be too direct, besides it's Elliot who has to make the first move."

"Are you kidding? That freaking tsundere has preferred mauling over it for a week over actually trying something."

"Still! Oz-sama cannot be the seme!" Sharon's voice got a bit higher, dripping with that's-freaking-obvious-you-twit.

"Well.. that's true but…"

"Just follow my plan, and make sure Elliot does everything correctly, otherwise it'll be more comical than charming."

"Ok I'll try…" A sigh from Reo who had just imagined Elliot's reaction to the girl's plan. He was not looking forward to dealing with it.

"Then I'll see you and Elliot-kun tomorrow!"

Then the voices stopped, and the sound of footsteps could be heard fading into the distance. Alice shrugged and bit into her lamb leg.

'I don't want any part in thee crazy people's plans.' Alice thought to herself as she walked back over to the couch, going back to poking Oz obnoxiousy.

A/N: *- said every yaoi fangirl ever.

I hope you guys are enjoying this story and I don't have any particular plans so if there's anything you'd like to see or a suggestion you might wanna make just PM me or mention it in your review.

You get a free Elliot if you review.


	3. Crap, except for him

"Hey Gil, has Break given you any new missions?" Oz asked, taking another bite of his strawberry cake. Both boys were sitting on a round glass table out in the Reinsworth's flower garden. The delicate flowers peeked out all around them, creating a lovely smell in the air. Oz sat across from Gilbert, a piece of cake and a cup of warm tea in front of him.

They were out here because Sharon had insisted that they should all sit together and have some tea, adding that the atmosphere in the beautiful garden would make the tea taste even better.

Gil shook his head, popping a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.

"He said things have calmed down a bit recently so we'll probably have a whole week off." He said, smiling. Break wasn't joining them out since he had received a request to go to Pandora's headquarters, most likely on Reim's request. The brunette man often had to call Break over to him a good scolding for not doing his paperwork correctly.

"Then that means we can go visit the town more often, right Oz?" Alice said through a mouthful of steak, looking at said blond with hopeful eyes. She was sitting between Oz and Sharon, her plate filled with steak instead of cake. Oz smiled at her and nodded. He knew the brunette girl really liked looking at all the shops and seeing new places, but they were often busy with the missions Pandora asked them to do.

"We will have some free time to have fun, huh?" He said, sipping his tea. Things had been settling nicely in Oz's head and he'd been a lot more relaxed ever since the tea party. It felt like a strange calm was taking over him. "I wonder…" He put his cup down and looked out at the sky, his eyes focused as he thought.

He hadn't seen Elliot since the tea party and he often found himself wondering how the older boy might be doing. It was only natural though, considering Elliot had finally accepted Oz as his friend. The blond couldn't help but smile a bit, gaze softening at the warm feeling in his chest. He couldn't explain exactly why he was so happy about it. It had all just meant a lot to him.

Sharon delicately ate the strawberry on her cake, watching her companions with a smile. "What is it Oz-sama?" She asked, her magenta eyes fixed on the daydreaming blond.

"…" Oz shook his head, smiling at her as he picked up his cup again. "I suppose I was wondering how Elliot is doing." He looked away then, choosing to return his attention to the food in front of him. "Maybe I should visit him…"

Sharon's smile widened. The strawberry blond had been making sure to watch Oz carefully, looking for even the slightest spark of that _something_. She really hoped it would all work out.

"I don't think you should worry about that right now, Oz-sama." She said, a slightly sneaky tone in her voice. "Especially since Elliot-kun will be joining us here later." She finished casually, taking another sip of her tea. "Such delicious tea…"

"WHAT?!" The surprised exclamation came from both the blond and the raven-head sitting across from him as they stood up abruptly, staring at Sharon.

"Elliot is coming over today?" Gil asked, a look of confusion on his face as he looked at the strawberry blond. "W-Why?"

"My my Gilbert-san, aren't you being a bit rude? Your little brother does not need a reason to come over does he?" She smiled innocently though Gil could practically see her eyes light up. "But if you simply must know, I get along with his servant quite well and have decided I'd like to speak to him for a while." She huffed a bit, as if she were annoyed that she had to explain herself.

"Reo-kun?" Oz asked, also looking confused. He could see where they're friendship might stem from and he could even find similarities in them but he still didn't understand why Elliot would come along as well. Knowing the grumpy brunette he'd have preferred to stay at his own home. He was sure Reo had to drag him to parties so it was strange to think Elliot would come willingly. "Then Elliot is…"

"I invited him as well since he gets along well with you, Oz-sama. Besides Gilbert never visits the Nightray household anymore, I'm sure the poor kid wants to see his brother even if he'd never admit it." Sharon stated as if it was ridiculous that they would act surprised.

Oz nodded seeming to accept that. It was true that Gil and Elliot had been interacting a lot less since Oz got back, and it was partly the blond's fault so he couldn't complain if Elliot was coming to see Gil. Still, the thought of Elliot coming over to visit him as well was… comforting.

"_Elliot! You should visit me next time!"_

"_Maybe, if I feel like it."_*

Oz smiled at the memory.

"But if that's the case… I should get some work done! If my little bro—Elliot is coming over then I have to at least look like I'm doing something… otherwise he might scold me again and his respect for me will evaporate…" Gilbert said dramatically, quickly putting out what was left of his cigarette.

Oz couldn't help but laugh at Gil's reaction. He watched as the raven-head got up and excused himself before bolting back inside the house. Oz didn't even bother to mention that said respect probably melted away when Elliot had caught his adopted brother in a school uniform the day they infiltrated Latowidge academy.

Alice opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Sharon again.

"You're not worried Oz-sama?" She asked him, carefully watching him.

"Nope, I'm not his family so I don't have anything to prove or worry about." Oz replied with a stupid smile. He'd begun to take another bite of his cake when he suddenly paled.

"Oz? Are you ok?" Alice asked, finally able to speak. The brunette girl blinked at Oz curiously.

"P-prove… what if…" The blond stood up dramatically, much like Gilbert had just seconds ago. "What if he decides to ask me about Holy Knight?! I've been so busy with all these chains I've barely read anything!"

Sharon and Alice looked at each other, Sharon seeming confused and Alice just plain irritated.

"So?" Alice asked, stealing Oz's strawberry.

"So he might tease me if he finds out I haven't caught up yet! Or worse… he might… spoil it for me!" (again) Oz replied, quickly finishing his cake and tea. He couldn't let the incident at the Latowidge library repeat itself, if Elliot was coming over then he was going to have to be caught up on the series no matter what.

"I see…" Sharon said, a bead of sweat running down her forehead. "W-well if that's the case then-"

"I'll see you girls later!" The blond boy said and quickly ran into the house, heading straight for the library.

Sharon giggled.

"So energetic, these boys…" She said smiling, hoping her plan would go well.

Alice pouted. "I don't like Mole… Oz always gets all excited around him and starts ignoring me…" She muttered. Sharon laughed and patted her head.

"Come on Miss Alice, we should also get ready for our visits."

"Reo-kun, I've been expecting you!" Sharon said dramatically, looking way to happy to see the messy haired servant. The raven-head was standing at the entrance to the Reinsworth's mansion, a grumpy looking Elliot standing a few steps behind him.

"Sharon-chan, it's been a while hasn't it?" Reo replied, smiling with the same amount of enthusiasm, walking up to the girl as if he were greeting a long lost sister. The raven-head presented himself with a friendly bow then playfully kissed the strawberry blond's hand. Said girl giggled and began walking.

"Come Reo-kun, I have a lot I want to discuss." Sharon said, walking past a slightly irritated Break who automatically followed the strange pair, keeping a respectful distance though he knew he didn't have to act formal considering it was only Sharon and a servant like himself.

Oz watched them walk away then looked back at the doorway where Elliot was still standing a bit awkwardly. The blond couldn't help but smile at the brunette's seemingly shy pose. He was standing just outside the door as if he were waiting for the indication to come in instead of simply waltzing in like his servant had earlier. He had one hand in his pocket and the other was scratching his head nervously as he looked around, as always, his sword was strapped to his back.

"Aren't you gonna come in Elliot?" Oz asked the older boy, grinning a bit. "I promise you'll come out alive."

"Tch…" Elliot half-glared at Oz, moving his hand from his head and closing the door behind him as he stepped in. "Don't talk to me like a child." He said simply.

Oz laughed and walked to the living room where he sat down comfortably on a bright purple couch, picking up the Holy Knight book he'd been trying to finish and placing it down on his lap. He smiled at the other boy and patted the spot next to him.

"Why don't you sit?"

Elliot just nodded and hesitantly sat down next to him, keeping a polite distance without making Oz feel like he had some sort of virus. He glanced at the book in Oz's lap, smiling a little at seeing Oz had at least tried to advance since the last time they'd seen each other. His blue eyes then travelled up to Oz's face, watching carefully for any signs that the blond might be feeling anything even close to what Elliot had been dealing with.

Oz was looking at him as well, with a friendly, and slightly innocent smile on his face as he blinked curiously. He seemed to be shining as if he were really excited to see a good friend he hadn't seen in a long time though in reality they'd seen each other a few weeks ago.

'Though it did feel like an eternity…' Elliot caught himself thinking, as he continued to stare.

"Um… Elliot…?" Oz asked, tilting his head to the side a bit and raising an eyebrow at the older. "Is there something on my face?" He laughed as if he'd just told a really good joke.

"…. No." Elliot looked away then, choosing to focus on the decoration instead. Seeing Oz now felt a little different from the previous times. In fact, seeing Oz was never the same experience. First he'd been some random and slightly irritating kid that he'd ended up getting involved with and even taken a slight liking to. Then, he represented a big conflict that had gone on inside of Elliot thanks to Oz, because he was a Bezarius, and even though Elliot was meant to hate him, he simply couldn't hate the boy when he smiled like he'd trust Elliot with his life. He probably would, that idiot.

Now, Elliot felt a sense of relief because he had sorted his own thoughts out and he was proud to be able to call Oz a friend. Just like Reo was. He didn't actually have that many friends, he was usually preoccupied with other things or people simply couldn't put up with his loud behavior. Yes, Oz was a very important friend to Elliot… but there was also a sense of conflict. Conflict because it hadn't stayed like that, as friends. Elliot wouldn't be able to swear it was love nor claim he'd give up everything for the blond, but seeing him now, in this new light, Elliot's chest had been feeling strange. He just wished the blond would stop looking at him with that innocent look on his face. Oz was anything but innocent, or at least that's what Elliot was convinced of.

"Are you ok Elliot?" Oz asked after a bit of silence in which it had been the blond's turn to stare as he looked at the older boy, trying to figure out what could be going on through Elliot's head. It frustrated him to no end being unable to read Elliot as easily as he could Gil or Alice. It was true he didn't know him as well as the other two, and they hadn't spent that much time together, but something inside Oz was desperate to understand.

Though at the moment it was proving hard to understand a lot of things.

Elliot glanced at him again but instead of answering the blond's previous question he stood up and said simply…

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

a/n: Yay the new chapter is up! I'm sorry it took me a bit longer but it's longer now :D Plus all the romance is about to start (?) or is it... mwahahaha

Reviews make me write faster:D so please share your opinion or if you'd like to suggest something you can PM me or just mention if in your review


	4. When the Rain Falls

"Just my goddamn luck that it'd start raining..." Elliot muttered, his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned back against the brick wall that stood under the small roof he and Oz were currently taking shelter under.

They hadn't even walked that far, just enough to be too far away to make a dash back to the Reinsworth's. The entire time they'd been mostly silent, with casual talk (mostly from Oz) and a bit of friendly joking. It wasn't an awkward silence though, it was actually rather comfortable to both males though Elliot had already caught himself wanting to hold the blond's hand a couple of times.

The rain had come suddenly. Oz felt it first, asking out loud if it was beginning to drizzle, but not long after he'd said those words did the rain start to come down heavily, all at once. Elliot had spotted the small roof (which belonged to a tiny store in the corner) and had told Oz they should wait out the rain there.

"Well... It was really sudden..." Oz said, smiling.

The rain didn't seem to be dying down and instead it seemed to Elliot like the entire thing was done on purpose. He glanced at Oz, who was carrying a small cat they'd stumbled across on their dash to safety. The wet furry creature was curled up against Oz which didn't surprise Elliot since the blond was probably very warm.

'I wonder if he is...' Elliot thought, blushing a bit and looking away. He couldn't let himself wonder that sort of thing, there was a very thin string connecting his sanity to his fantasies and he knew he could end up imagining some very interesting movies.

"Do you think he's hungry?" Oz asked, looking at the cat in his grasp. "He keeps squirming around."

"Well... He'll have to wait, the rain isn't getting any gentler." Elliot sighed.

Oz pouted a bit, not saying anything and just returning his attention to the small creature. Elliot felt his face grow hotter. Did Oz know he looks adorable when he pouts like that? His cheeks got noticeably pink and puffed out a little, reminding Elliot of some sort of chipmunk or rabbit.

"Tch." He forced himself to look away, he was starting to feel like a creep and the entire situation was beyond uncomfortable.

"Elliot?" Oz asked, blinking. "Are you alright?"

It seemed he'd been asking the brunette that a lot lately but the blond could tell the older boy had something on his mind. Something was bugging him and because Elliot wasn't one to keep much in, it was probably beginning to frustrate him. It seemed to Oz that Elliot looked like he needed some air even though they were outside and it was only the two of them.

Just as the blond had assumed the brunette was beginning to feel claustrophobic, he shifted his weight to the other foot, looking around for something, anything, to look at that _wasn't Oz_.

"You don't look so well..." Oz said with a hint of concern in his voice after Elliot didn't respond. The blond took off his jacket, making a sort of nest out of it and placing it down on the ground, then put the small cat down on top of it. He moved closer to Elliot and put his hand on Elliot's forehead, testing to see if the older boy was catching some sort of fever.

Elliot on the other hand had suddenly forgotten how to breathe. His blue eyes looked at Oz closely, taking in everything he could. He noticed how the blond's bangs had grown since the last time he'd seen him, making him look just a tad girlier. He noticed how Oz had to stand on his tips to reach him properly and how his eyebrows furrowed in some kind of concentration.

Elliot felt he was having some sort of mini heart attack. His breathing seemed to have come back but he was still having trouble thinking straight. Elliot cursed in his head, he was sure his face was really really red at this point, but he couldn't really help it... Having Oz this close, after having indecent dreams and fantasies where the blond was the star, something in him was aching to move. He wanted to touch Oz, to put his hand on the blond's cheek and feel for himself if he was as soft and warm as he seemed.

So he did.

The moment Elliot's hand touched Oz's cheek, the shorter boy froze, his hand still on Elliot's forehead. His expression was one of confusion and Elliot could tell immediately it had been a bad idea. But he didn't pull away. Instead he gently stroked it with his thumb, trying to take in every detail of that moment. Oz was soft, and he was warm, just as Elliot had imagined. Stray blond stands fell across Oz's face and met Elliot's hand, tickling the skin it found. The brunette looked at Oz, holding his gaze. It was the first time he'd let himself look at the younger from this close up, and he was shocked by his eyes. He'd never let himself look at them so closely, since in his mind they always represented a characteristic trait of the enemy. But he realized now, these eyes weren't the eyes of a Bezarius... They were Oz's and no one else's. He was sure not even Ada had such stunning green eyes.

"Elliot...?" It wasn't accusing, and Oz didn't sound upset, more like he was asking for an explanation.

"Sorry... I just..." Elliot looked away then, trying to hold his nerves so that maybe all these unnecessary schemes wouldn't be needed after all and Elliot could just confess to him now.

_"I was rejected... Never given any expectations..."_

_"Oz has... Never really known love so this might turn out to be tricky."_

Elliot suddenly felt his blood go cold and the resolve from earlier vaporized, fear filling its place. Even if he confessed, even if he told Oz everything... Would he even understand? Would Oz really be able to completely understand Elliot's feelings? Would he reject him? Or even worse... Accept him for the wrong reasons? Elliot didn't think he'd be able to handle that.

The brunette slowly lowered his hand. He could see it now, Oz's eyes were beautiful... But there was a dim shadow there... Barely noticeable and Elliot couldn't describe it. All he could think was that it gave Oz's gaze a strangely empty feeling. Maybe a little lonely.

"... It's nothing." Elliot shook his head. He sighed and looked up at the sky, the rain was still clouding the sky but he didn't know how much longer he'd survive if he stayed there. "Sorry Oz I just remembered there's something important I forgot…" Elliot said quickly before Oz could say anything else. He took a deep breath and practically dashed out into the rain, heading straight home and running as fast as he could go. He could finally have space to breathe and sort his thoughts out in his dry and peaceful… study room?

"Elliot!" Oz's hand had reached out and grabbed the older's sleeve tightly. "You can't just leave like that!" The blond didn't quite understand what was going on but something was happening and his heart ached at the thought of Elliot leaving now. What was he about to say…? And why did Oz want to know so much…?

Elliot turned around to reply but the words caught in his throat. He'd forgotten it was raining and water coated the streets.

"Waah!" Oz didn't have time to react quickly enough to let go of Elliot's sleeve as the brunette heir slipped, falling backwards and pulling Oz down with him.

Elliot landed painfully on his back though thankfully he didn't hit his head too hard, only letting out a gasp when he felt Oz's weight press against him. Strangely, though the situation called for any thought except that one, Elliot couldn't help but notice Oz wasn't actually that heavy, especially considering how much he'd seen the small blond eat.

Oz didn't know how he was supposed to react so instead he chose to just sort of lay there uselessly, his face bright red for an unknown reason.

"You know, for a guy who eats as much as that Alice girl, you're pretty light." Elliot's slightly amused voice floated out into the air. Oz blinked in surprise, Elliot didn't seem to be feeling awkward at all.

Elliot was starting to relax a little, of course he was beyond embarrassed at their current situation, but he figured he should give Oz a hand and not embarrass him further. He hid his blushing face from Oz and forced his voice to sound casual again.

"Oi, did you fall asleep? Just cuz you're light doesn't mean you can sleep on me you know. The floor isn't exactly comfortable." He smirked a bit at the last part. Then Oz did something that Elliot hadn't been expecting at all.

He laughed.

It wasn't a teasing giggle or a cutesy laugh like the ones he sometimes pulled when he was trying to get his way using his 'adorable' factor to his favor. It was a genuine laugh, he was happy. Elliot was sure his life would end due to heart failure now. Oz shifted a bit and shifted his weight off Elliot's chest, putting his arms on either side of him in order to hold himself up as he looked at the other with an amused smile on his face, one blond eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure? You look very comfortable." Oz said teasingly, flashing teeth.

"Well it's not that bad to be honest, but waterbeds aren't my thing." Elliot tried another joke, and at the moment he felt he could make a complete fool of himself over and over again if it meant seeing that beautiful smile.

And it worked. Oz laughed again, though this time Elliot could see him perfectly and he thought he'd never seen anything more dazzling in his entire life. Oz's smile was brilliant and his laugh wasn't annoying like Reo or Vanessa's, his hair was soaked and stray drops of water fell from golden locks to land on Elliot's clothes, not that it mattered much considering Elliot's clothes couldn't possibly get any wetter. Yes, Elliot was convinced now every single minute he had to put up with Reo and Sharon had been worth it.

Oz slowly got off him, standing up and offering Elliot his hand with a smile on his face.

"The rain's stopped."

A/N: Another chapter so soon?! It seems I'm on a roll. I might even rewrite Romeo Complex XD

In any case I'm not kidding guys, reviews make me write faster XD anyways I sort of have an idea where i'm going with this now so expect a couple more chapters :D

Did you guys like the fluffyness? I usually don't write this sort of thing so I'm not sure how well written it might be. Well, till next chapter, read ya later


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